ABC Capricornia: Tobias Jurss-Lewis
)A year after central Queensland's first COVID-19 case, Rockhampton Hospital's frontline workers have rolled up their sleeves to receive the AstraZeneca vaccination.
Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service director of public health Gulam Khandaker was the first to get the jab in Rockhampton on Thursday.
"Today marks 12 months since we had the first positive case of COVID-19 in central Queensland," Dr Khandaker said.
"I had the vaccine — it didn't hurt, I feel good.
Under the first phase of the rollout staff from the emergency departments and the public health, intensive care and high dependency units will receive the vaccine before it is made available to the rest of the community.
CQ Health chief executive Steve Williamson said 160,000 residents over the age of 18 would be vaccinated by October.
He said another hub would open in Gladstone next week, while another team was set to travel across the region to help with vaccinations in rural areas.
"We'll be talking about delivering, as the program reaches its peak, about 10,000 vaccinations a week in central Queensland," Mr Williamson said.
"In stage 1A, it's a small cohort of people that covers aged care residents, aged care staff, disability accommodation residents and staff.
"It's only a couple of thousand that are in category 1A."
Mr Williamson said progress would be rapid.
"When we move to stage two, that's when we really start to ramp up," he said.
"By the middle of April, we'll potentially have GP clinics across central Queensland [onboard].
"[Our frontline staff] have done an incredible job and I thank them for their hard work and commitment throughout this pandemic."
